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"Can’t you stop hi?" True asks

The Minister shakes his head "I’ve tried Our Council is broken We are split into factions Those who believe as I do are in the minority" His voice breaks It is such a norood, very wise person--but that is all "I do not kno er I will be allowed to retainNevio as a replacement"

Ciro cannot compete with Nevio

True looks at me Should we tell Ciro? I shake my head the smallest bit How can we trust so with such a secret? Would he even believe us? And what could he do?

And I’ve had another thought If I turn in Nevio, will they kill hi to use it the way Maire intended It can’t have caused soone," Fen says, shaking his head as if he can’t believe it He doesn’t know about Nevio, either, of course

"We don’t know that," I say "Maire hoped there were more" I don’t say the rest in front of Ciro, but I can tell that Bay knohat I mean More like me Hidden sirens And there are potential sirens not yet born I think of all those voices that

"I’m afraid we don’t have much time toAtlantia The Councilhow many people should be rescued from the Below As it stands, anyone who hasn’t had a siren in her bloodline is considered suspect, because one could still appear Those like you"--he looks at Bay and ht be allowed to come up and be rehabilitated"

The Minister doesn’t know that I’m a siren

Bay told hi me safe

She says she trusts Ciro, but she hasn’t told hi it And if that’s the case, I’d better not tell him about Nevio

Maire’s words cos you only tell a sister And sos you only ask of a sister

Ciro looks at Fen "They’ve also decided that anyone who has lost a fa or who is infected with it themselves won’t be rescued"

"But that’s most of Atlantia," Bay says "You’d be hard put to find anyone who didn’t have water-lung in their line somewhere And if you also rule out all the lines that haven’t had a siren appear, there will be hardly anyone left that your Council considers worth saving"

"I know," Ciro says "They are letting fear control them"

"They are murderers," Bay says "Your people are ht The people of Atlantia have not fought for us They have been afraid of us, too They have forgotten to see sirens as human, only as lonely miracles, and in the end they are the ones who killed us e cao Below," Bay says, her face pale "Someone has to tell the people there what Nevio and the Council have done to the sirens And that the Council is leaving Atlantia to die"